Trip 15/16 - Friday Night - Saturday - May 30/31th

Friday night, I dropped off Marcia at the Casino, and I replaced the broken hasp on the companionway and fiddled with something else for a while. Sized things up for Saturday and here we are.

Saturday, I brought more tools (Instruments of Torture) and started by wanting to adjust the engine mounts but got diverted to cleaning the d^&*^%$ned mess first. And glad I did.

 

This, is the central core of today's misery.

 

Some images around and beside the "engine". Clean engines and engine compartments are not only easier to work on, but also easier to fix.

 

Afterwards.

I went to the hardware store and got two spray bottles. Quart size. One for the degreaser, one for 3:1 water/Dawn. This is the result after two dousings of degreaser, followed by "The Hose" and three cycles of Dawn - followed by "The Hose".

Once, I had a filthy used car. I took out the interior, completely, and took a hose to the inside. I accomplished in a half hour, what would have taken a very long time otherwise. Same is true here.

 

Then, I tackled the battery compartment.

 

The wooden "box" for the battery was so rotten, it came out in pieces.

With my hand.

 

The goo under the platform

 

More goo,

I failed to make an "after" image, but it is now as clean as, the engine compartment and Mr Battery is so much happier at this writing.

 

The Bilge, with Bilge Water. I used the Bilge Pump to get it outa there.

 

The Degreaser did not touch some of the soot/goo within the boat's cavities. My Olde Standbye, Laquer Thinner, sure did. So, now having at least one solution, I will leave this for another day.

 

This, is what 3M claims will make gelcoat shine. Let's find out. It is not running nor paste like, it is more like Jello.

 

After some aggressive buffing on the front of The Boate. I tired to pick up some of the reflection.

 

The right side - treated, the left, in waiting.

I did find using a buffer on the non-Skid was not a good thing. Left a series of pimples by, what appeared to be, popping the tops of a bubble within the gelcoat. So, I took a tip from my oldest son and used a scrub brush on the non-Skid. Looks alot betterer in person, but you will see a difference between the two sides.

 

And, Here it is, next to its neighbors.

Tomorrow, The Mast .. Maybe ....

Later ...